A Church Anchored in Ensley
On 18th Street in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, Nichols Temple AME Church carries the motto, "The Church Where Everybody Is Somebody and God Is Lord of All." The congregation worships each Sunday at 701 18th Street, Ensley, and the building has been the spiritual home of the church family since September 2001. A weekly livestream and a longstanding tradition of community service give the church a presence that reaches well beyond the brick walls of its current home.
Nichols Temple sits inside the African Methodist Episcopal Church's Ninth Episcopal District. The missionary society is part of the Maxie-Hampton Area of that district, and the church works within the West Alabama Conference. In a city with deep AME roots, Nichols Temple has built a profile around three things: warm Sunday morning worship, a steady rhythm of Bible study, and practical outreach to neighbors in Ensley.
From Mount Zion to Nichols Temple
The congregation's history stretches back to the late 1800s, when a man named Brother Norman Ragland felt a calling to build a place of worship for the unsaved residents of the Ensley community. Ragland shared the vision with fellow believers, including Mr. and Mrs. Will Zeak, Mr. and Mrs. Isaiah Love, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd McElhannon, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Branch, and Mr. Jake Mule. Together they erected a "Bush Arbor" on the corner of Twenty-First Street and Avenue K, which was later replaced by a small wooden frame structure. That original body was known as Mount Zion African Methodist Church.
In the early twentieth century, Mount Zion joined what is now the Ninth Episcopal District in the West Alabama Conference. By the early 1940s, the growing congregation needed a new building. During the construction, the leadership and members decided to rename the church Nichols Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Nichols Temple name has stuck ever since. The congregation worshipped at the Twenty-First Street location until 2001, when the dream of a new facility was realized and the church family moved to its present home on 18th Street.
Sunday Morning: School and Worship
The Sunday rhythm at Nichols Temple begins with Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. Classes are age specific and open to everyone from age two through adulthood. Beginners and Primary class gathers children ages four to six, the Junior class serves ages seven to nine, the Intermediate class covers ages ten to fourteen, and the Senior class welcomes ages fifteen to eighteen. Adults can choose from Young Adult Class I (over age 30), Young Adult Class II (ages 18 to 25), the Women's Bible Class, and the Men's Bible Class. The mission of the Sunday School is to teach students how to study the Bible, pray, grow spiritually, and serve and witness for Christ.
Worship follows at 10:30 a.m. CST. The service is held in the sanctuary at 701 18th Street and is also streamed on Zoom for those who cannot attend in person. The 9th Episcopal District, the West Alabama Conference, and the Christian Recorder of the AME Church are all linked from the church's main hub, reflecting the wider denominational life the congregation shares with sister churches.
Midweek Bible Study and Youth Meetings
On the first and third Tuesdays of each month, Rev. Dr. Raymond E. Mayes leads an interactive Bible study at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. The hour-long session invites attendees to ask questions, share comments, and receive direction on the Word. A Zoom link is posted so members at home or in other cities can join the discussion. The Bible reading schedule that accompanies the study runs on a rotating set of passages from Psalms, Matthew, Hebrews, Luke, and other books, drawing from the King James Version of the Bible.
Young people gather on Mondays from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. for the Young People Division, with the motto, "Grow, Glow, and Go for Christ." Members learn pledges familiar across the AME tradition and prepare for ministry through the Allen Stars, the Young People's Auxiliary, and other YPD programs. The YPD feeds directly into the broader Youth Department, which the church promotes as a safe and encouraging space for the next generation of disciples.
Outreach: Food, Clothing, and Thanksgiving
Helping neighbors is woven into the life of Nichols Temple. The hunger relief and clothing closet ministry distributes hygiene packs and provides clothing to people in need. A Thanksgiving basket give-away each year serves community members who are going through difficult times, with the Thanksgiving Basket Committee partnering with the Ambassadors of Lawson State Community College to prepare the baskets. Members of the Women's Missionary Society, the Lay Organization, and the church at large all help with the effort.
The Community Fellowship Breakfast, which started in 2001, brings church members and neighbors together on the fourth Saturday of each month for breakfast and a word of devotion. The church also conducts an annual school supply drive, gathering materials to distribute to students in local schools. Together, the breakfast, the food and clothing ministry, the school supply drive, and the Thanksgiving baskets form a year-round circle of care for the Ensley community.
Members and friends have also supported the virtual Ensley 3K Walk, Run or Roll, an event that helps establish a food pantry to feed people in Ensley. The walk has become a way for the wider congregation, from those who grew up in the church to grandchildren taking their first steps for a cause, to walk together in service.
Youth Department and Sunday School Life
The Youth Department is led by K. Nikkie Pittman, J.D., a youth advocate and Birmingham native who has spent more than two decades investigating fraudulent activity. Pittman, who also founded the nonprofit Woman of Worth, Inc., brings her passion for helping young people live up to their full potential to the department. The Youth Department plans spiritual, emotional, educational, and social-cultural experiences for the young people of the church, including an annual Christmas program performed by the youth and a Youth Day celebration that has welcomed guest speakers from across the region.
Sunday School is the second classroom in the building. Constance Fields serves as Sunday School Superintendent, working with a roster of teachers who shepherd the Beginners, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Young Adult, Women's, and Men's classes. Together, the Sunday School and Youth Department give the church a strong pipeline for raising up disciples from preschool through young adulthood.
Music, Missionary Society, and Boards
Music has a proud place at Nichols Temple. The Senior Choir, led by Choir President Malinda Bragg, leads the congregation in worship, while musicians Andretta Williams, Pamela Ansari, and William Keys, along with the Sons of Allen, support the musical life of the church. The choir and musicians are part of why the AME worship style at Nichols Temple blends traditional hymns with the gospel sound that has long defined the denomination's sanctuaries.
The Women's Missionary Society helps women and children grow in their Christian faith, supporting the monthly community breakfast, the Thanksgiving basket giveaway, and the school supply drive. The Young People's Division of the WMS is led by Cynthia Collins, and the work of the society ties into the wider Women's Missionary Society of the AME Church.
A roster of lay leaders keeps the church running week to week. Margaret Starks, Brenda Kindred, Beverly Miles, Vonner Moore, Constance Fields, Perry McMiller, and Steve McCrorey serve on the Steward Board, while Malinda Joyce Bragg, Brenda Adams, Jacqueline Bryant, Harold Thompson, William Kindred, Lola Bryant, and Darryl Collins serve as trustees. Karen McTyer leads the Stewardess Board, Vonner Moore heads the Usher Board, Lola Coleman and Beverly Miles direct the Pastor's Aid Board, and Harold Thompson serves the Sons of Allen. The Lay Organization is led by Steve McCrorey.
Beliefs
Nichols Temple AME Church teaches belief in the Holy Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the authority of the Bible. Members also affirm the power of prayer and the importance of living out their faith in daily life. Scripture is read from the King James Version, and the weekly Bible reading schedule and Tuesday Bible study both center on careful engagement with the text.
Pastoral Leadership
Rev. Dr. Raymond E. Mayes is the appointed pastor of Nichols Temple AME Church. An ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a certified project manager, he also serves as CEO and Executive Director of NAME Ministries, Inc., a tax-exempt organization. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Project Management from Capella University, a Master of Divinity from Turner Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Benedict College. He previously served as Youth Minister at Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta under the late Bishop James L. Davis and Bishop Gregory V. Eason. His vision for worship, administration, and youth ministry has shaped the current chapter of Nichols Temple's life.
Rev. Yolanda Davis serves as Associate Pastor. A Birmingham native who began preaching as an evangelist at sixteen, she studied at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has a 37-year federal career alongside her ministry. Ordained in 2012, she teaches Bible study, serves as keynote speaker and evangelist, and provides spiritual direction across the church.
Online and Practical Connections
For those who cannot attend in person, the Sunday service streams on Zoom, and the sermon is also shared through the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page, where weekly sermon links are posted. A Zelle giving option makes online contributions straightforward, and members can also support the church's outreach by shopping through Amazon Smile and selecting NAME Ministries Inc. as a favorite charity. Visitors can reach the church office at (205) 936-5877 or (205) 424-5043.